Latch for swinging bins or compartments.



Patented Spt. I8, |900.

C. A. BABB.

LATCH FOR SWINGING BINS 0R COMPARTMENTS.

(Application l'ed Ian. 22, 1900.)

{No Model.)

W, fa. M

y UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.A

cHAELES A. BABB, 0E M'EADVILLE, MISSOURI.

LAToH-FoR swlNelNo BINS on ooMPAR'r'MENTs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,310, datedSeptember 18, 1900. Application led January Z2, 1900. 4Serial'Nol2,343.y (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be itknown that I, CHARLES A. BABB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Meadville, in the county of Linn and State of Missouri, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Latches for Swinging Bins orCompartments,of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved latch for swinging bins, and hasfor its object to provide a simple and inexpensive latch of improvedconstruction by means of which the swinging bin or other device may belocked in both its open and closed positions and in any intermediateposition between its open and closed positions and which also serves asa handle for opening and closing the bin.

It also has for its object to arrange the latch in such manner that whenthe handle is grasped to open the bin the latch will automat-Y ically bedisengaged or unlocked, and when it is released will automatically lockthe bin.

To these ends my invention consists in the features and in theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed'out in the claim following thedescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specication, wherein- Figure lis a perspective View of aswinging bin with myimproved latch applied thereto. Fig. 2 is atransverse section, the latch being shown in dotted lines; and Fig. 3 isan enlarged detail view of the latch.

Referring to t-he drawings,the numeral 1 indicates a frame or casing, orit may be a storecounter, which may be of any suitable or preferredconstruction, and is provided with vertical sides or partitions 2.Journaled at its ends between the sides 2 is a swinging compartment3,which may be of any desired shape and construction, but is shown inthe present instance as consisting of a bin constructed in an ordinaryand well-known manner. As shown in this application,the bin is suspendedwithin the casing by pivots or journals 4, which are fitted in the endsof the bin and the sides of the casing at points above the horizontalcent-er of the bin, whereby the center of gravity of the bin falls belowits pivotal points, thus causing the bin to normally close or swingwithin the casing when released.

The pivots or journals 4 may be of any approved construction, the sameforming no part of the present invention.

'Journaled as shown the bin may be freely swung in and out of the casingwith but little force or exertion,and when released will swing closedwithin the casing. Attached to one end of the bin and preferably nearthe front and upper edge thereof is a face-plate 5,provided with alaterally-projecting lug or pivot-pin 6, on which is pivoted the latchwhich I will now describe.

The numeral 7 indicates a [iat curved metallic bar or arm, which ispivoted near one end in the pivot-pin 6 and at its outer adjacent end isreduced and has fixed thereon a handle 8. Said curved arm as the bin isswung about its pivots travels through a guide-such as staple 9, forexample-attached to the side 2 of the casing. On the under side of thearm are formed a plurality of notches l0, said notches being larger orwider at their inner than at their outer Sides-that is to say, thenotches are contracted at the edge ofthe armas shown and for the purposepresently hereinafter explained. Said notches may be of any desirednumber and arranged at any desired distance apart; but the end notchesshould be arranged at such points on the arm that when the bin iscompletely closed the notch nearest the handle 8 will engage the stapleto hold the bin locked in its closed position, and when the bin isopened toits fullest extent the notch on the innermost end of the arrnwill in like manner engage the staple and lock the bin in its openposition.

Normally the bin remains closed by gravity; but it is positively lockedin its closed position by the latch-arm, which, being pivoted near itsouter end to the pin, rests by gravity on the lower leg of the staple 9,and when closed the notched inner end of said arm drops over the lowerleg of the staple, and thus locks the bin against any movement about itspivots. When it is desired to open the bin, the handle 8 is grasped anddrawn outward and downward, thus swinging the latch-arm 7 upward aboutits pivot and disengaging it from the lower leg of the staple and at thesame time swinging the bin outward from the casing. When the bin has IOObeen swung open as far as desired, the handle is released,whereu pon thelatch-arm drops by gravity onto the lower leg of the staple, and as thebin starts to swing back into the casing the lower leg of the staple isengaged by the first notched portion of the arm that it encounters,whereby the movement of the bin is arrested and the latter is held open.To close the bin, the latch-arm is raised out of contact with the stapleand the bin permitted to swing back into the casing by grav ity, when itwill be held closed in the manner before described. By forming thenotches in the manner described-that is to say, contracting the th roatsof said notches-the latch-arm is prevented from being accidentallydisengaged from the staple and can only be released therefrom bypositively lifting the latch-arm out of contact with the staple by meansof lthe handle 8.

I have shown and described the bin as being pivoted at a point above itshorizontal center, whereby the bin will automatically swing to itsclosed position by gravity when the latch is disengaged from the loop orstaple; but it may be pivoted at a point below the horizontal center, sothat it will automatically swing open by gravity when the latch isreleased. In either case the operation of the latch is the same-that Aisto say, it will operate to lock the bin in any of its adjustedpositions.

In the present application I have shown and described the latch inconnection with a bin; but I do not wish to be understood as confiningmy invention to such employment, as it may be used to advantage inswinging, tilting, or oscillating compartments and devices of variousdifferent descriptions.

Having described my invention, what I claim is The combination with aninclosing casing closed on all sides excepting at the rear and aswinging bin open only at its top and pivoted at its opposite ends aboveits axial center to the ends of the casing, whereby it swings closed bygravity, of a face-plate rigidly fixed to one end of the bin near theoutei` edge and above the pivotal point of the latter and provided witha fixed laterally-projecting pivotpin, a downwardly-curved arm disposedbetween one end of the bin and casing and pivoted near its outer end onthe said pivot-pin, said arm being provided on its under side with aplurality of notches having contracted throats, a staple fastened to theinner side of the end of the casing and straddling the arm, the notcheson the under side of the arm being arranged to engage the lower leg ofthe staple and hold the bin against movement in either direction, theouter end of the arm projecting outward from and between the bin andcasing and provided with a handle projecting at a right angle to the endof the arm, said handle operating, when it is grasped to swing the binopen, to automatically disengage the arm from the lower leg of thestaple and permit the bin to be swung open, substantially as shown anddescribed and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. BABE.

Witnesses:

ALFRED K. BAILEY, JOHN W. ABELL.

